ablic Document No. 113 



FIEST ANNUAL EEPOET 



BOARD OF EDUCATION 



Depaetment of Univeesitt Extension. 



January, 1916. 




BOSTON: 

WEIGHT & POTTETt FEINTING CO., STATE PEINTEES, 

32 DEENE STEEET. 

1916. 



Public Document 



No. 113 



FIRST ANNUAL REPORT 



B#ARI) OF EDUCATION 



-ii I V t ^ I (Ti 



Department of University Extension. 



January, 1916 




BOSTON: 

WEIGHT & POTTEE FEINTING CO., STATE PEINTEES, 

32 DEENE STEEET. 

1916. 



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Approved by 
The State Board of Publication. 



MAR 31 19^1 



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FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION 
ON THE DEPARTMENT OF UNIVERSITY EXTENSION. 



In accordance with section 5 of chapter 294 of the General 
Acts of 1915 the Board of Education herewith submits its first 
annual report for the Department of University Extension. 

The Board of Education, in a report made to the General 
Court in 1912, in accordance with chapter 60 of the Resolves of 
1911, on improving and making more uniform the education 
now furnished by the high schools in the Commonwealth, and 
on providing higher and supplementary education additional 
to that offered, stated, among other conclusions, that, as con- 
trasted with advanced phases of higher education in certain 
other progressive States, the Massachusetts system exhibits a 
deficiency in that certain sections of the State do not have the 
advantages of university extension, and that the Common- 
wealth might provide a special officer, under the State Board of 
Education, to organize and promote university extension work. 
(House No. 1647 (1912), pp. 12, 16, 20 and 21.) 

In a report made by the Board of Education to the General 
Court of 1915, as required by chapter 105 of the Resolves of 
the year 1914, on the proposed establishment of a State uni- 
versity to provide free instruction to persons regularly in at- 
tendance, and to persons within the State not in attendance, 
and on other means of promoting higher education, the Board 
again called attention to the need of extension courses, and 
repeated its recommendation regarding such courses, as made 
to the Legislature of 1912. (House No. 485 (1915), pp. 4, 17, 
25 and 32.) 



4 UNIVERSITY EXTENSION. [Jan. 

The Governor of the Commonwealth, in his inaugural address 
of 1915, recommended legislation providing for university ex- 
tension and correspondence courses. A conference of repre- 
sentative citizens was called b}" him to discuss these proposals. 
A State advisory committee appointed by the Governor pre- 
pared a bill providing for the establishment of university ex- 
tension and correspondence courses. As a result, the General 
Court enacted legislation (chapter 294 of the General Acts of 
1915) creating a Department of University Extension under the 
direction of the Board of Education. A copy of the act is 
given herewith. 

An Act to establish a Depaetment op University Extension and 
TO provide for Correspondence Courses of Education. 

Section 1. There is hereby established a department of university 
extension to be under the direction and control of the board of education. 
The head of said department shall be appointed by the board of education, 
with the approval of the governor and council, and his salary shall be fixed 
by the board with the approval of the governor and council. He may be 
removed at any time by the said board of education. 

Section 2. The said department of university extension is hereby 
authorized to co-operate with existing institutions of learning in the estab- 
lishment and conduct of university extension and correspondence courses; 
to supervise the administration of all extension and correspondence courses 
which are supported in whole or in part by state revenues; and also, where 
that is deemed advisable, to establish and conduct university extension 
and correspondence courses for the benefit of residents of Massachusetts: 
-provided, that nothing in this act shall be construed as giving to the said 
department or to the board of education the control or direction of exten- 
sion and correspondence courses in agriculture or in subjects directly related 
thereto when these are administered under the direction of the Massachu- 
setts Agricultural College. The said department, subject to the approval 
of the board of education, ma}^ employ such agents, lecturers, instructors, 
assistants and clerks, for whole or part time, as may be necessary for proper 
compliance with the provisions of this act. With the approval of the 
governor and council and of the board of education, it may rent suitable 
offices for the conduct of its work. 

Section 3. The said department for the purposes of such university 
extension or correspondence courses, may, with the consent of the proper 
city or town officials or school committees, use the school buildings or 
other public buildings and grounds of any city or iowD. within the com- 
monwealth, and may also use normal school buildings and grounds and, 
with the consent of the boards or commission in charge of the same, such 
other school buildings as are owned or controlled by the commonwealth. 



1916.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 113. 5 

City and town officials and committees are hereby autliorized to allow the 
use of buildings and grounds under their charge by the department of 
university extension for the purposes of university extension or corre- 
spondence courses, subject to the rules and regulations which such officials 
or committees may establish: provided, hoirever, that such use shall not 
interfere or be inconsistent with the use of said buildings and grounds by 
the public schools of the city or town. The said department may also ar- 
range for the use of such other buildings, grounds, and facilities as may 
prove to be necessarj^ for the conduct of its work, and ma}' expend in rent 
therefor such sums as maj^ from time to time be necessary. 

Section 4. The department of university extension is empo^^■ered to 
appoint a state advisory council and also local advisory councils on uni- 
versitj^ extension and correspondence courses, the functions of which shall 
be defined by the rules and regulations of the board of education. 

Section 5. The board of education shall submit to the general court, 
on or before the third Wednesday of January of each year, a detailed re- 
port of the doings and expenditures of the said department for the year 
closing on the first day of the previous July. 

Section 6. I'he said department is authorized to grant to students 
completing courses of instruction provided for under this act suitable cer- 
tificates as evidence of proficiency, in accordance with rules and regula- 
tions to be established by the board of education. 

Section 7. The department of university extension, for the purposes 
of complying with the provisions of this act, may be allowed for the salary 
of its head, agents, lecturers, instructors, assistants, clerks and other serv- 
ice, and for travel and other necessary expenses of these officers, incurred 
in the performance of their official duties under this act, such sums as shall 
be appropriated annually by the general court, payable out of the treasury 
of the commonwealth. 

Section 8. There may be expended under the direction of the board 
of education in carrying out the provisions of this act for the year nineteen 
hundred and fifteen, a sum not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars. 

Section 9. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Approved 
May 28, 1915. 



Since the passage of this act, May 28, 1915, the Board of 
Education has selected a director of the department, and par- 
tially organized a working staff. James A. Moyer began serv- 
ice as director of the department Oct. 20, 1915. In addition, 
two members of the staff", Joseph W. L. Hale, in charge of 
correspondence study, and Robert H. Spahr, in charge of ex- 
tension classes, have entered upon their duties. 

The Department of University Extension has issued through 
the Board of Education a bulletin, — No. 1, 1916, — a copy of 



6 UNIVERSITY EXTENSION. [Jan. 1916. 

which is filed herewith, containing information on correspond- 
ence courses to be offered in 1916. This bulletin has been 
widely distributed throughout the State. 

The Commissioner of Education in the seventy-ninth annual 
report of the Board of Education (pages 55 to 57) discusses the 
probable future development of the Department of University 
Extension. 

At present the quarters assigned the department are so small 
that its work is being done under serious disadvantages. 

The Board is also required to report upon the expenditures 
of said department for the year closing on the first day of the 
previous July. No expenditures were incurred previous to that 
date for 1915, and consequently no financial report is required 
for this year. 

Respectfully submitted, 

FREDERICK P. FISH, Chairman, 
JEREMIAH E. BURKE, 
ELLA LYMAN CABOT, 
JAMES CHALMERS, 
A. LINCOLN FILENE, 
THOMAS B. FITZPATRICK, 
FREDERICK W. HAMILTON, 
PAUL H. HANUS, 
MARGARET SLATTERY, 

Members of the Board. 



LIBRPIRY OF CONGRESS 



029 928 885 7 




